CarComplaints.com Notes: Ford changed a lot of things for its 3rd generation, just none of them were a good idea.
The transmission tends to hesitate and jerk when accelerating. The new electronically-driven power steering can fail suddenly and without warning. Even Ford's SYNC can be a headache. Actually, scratch that last one — it's always been a headache.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
14 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
8 / 1
Average Mileage:
37,884 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the power steering assist failed making the vehicle undrivable. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to colley Ford (1945 auto centre dr, glendora, ca 91740) where it was diagnosed with the power steering assist needing to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the transmission while driving. The contact also stated that on several occasions while driving, the vehicle ran out of fuel due to a fuel gauge failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 19V515000 (fuel system, gasoline) in November 2020 at tuttle-click's capistrano Ford (33301 camino capistrano, san juan capistrano, ca 92675) however, the failure occurred. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with the clutch and the shifting unit needing to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired yet. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
Car stalls while driving on highway. Within my 10 miles to work and back the transmission disengages about 6 times and need to hit the button on side of shift knob. Radio shorted out makes a horrible sound even when not turned on or car not started. Had to remove fuses
Transmission transmission transmission the car jerks and the clutch is messed up. I've had nothing but issues with the transmission, clutch, repeated recalls.
I have had nothing but issues with this car since I got it 5 years ago. I was leaving to take my son to a dr appointment. I got about a mile down the road and the service engine now pops up. A loud pop sound came thru my speakers and the radio stopped working. Then I started losing rpms and power to my car it wouldn't go over 10mph. I was able to limp it back home very slowly. I'm not sure what's going on I've replaced the crankshaft/camshaft sensor and purge valve. I've had all the recalls fixed on it dealing with the transmission and clutch about 2 years ago. When Ford made this car they clearly wasn't thinking straight. This car is not safe and I'm so glad we made it back home safe my child was terrified. Nothing but a money pit and I don't have a lot of money to keep putting in a car that keeps having the same issues over and over.
- Clover, SC, USA
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Ford transmission problems wont go away!! transmission shutter and poor initial acceleration. The clutch has been replaced twice and tcm twice by Ford dealer. After the last tcm replacement in 2016 problems continued and I was turned away by Ford dealerships because no engine light came on. Now that finally a check engine light came on U0101, P07A3, I am now over 100, 000 miles the clutch is no longer covered under warranty but the tcm is. I have had several incidents where the car lost all acceleration abilities while driving on a busy highway or simply fail to accelerate and a traffic light causing major delays for anyone around me. It has been a saftey concern for years due to the unpredictability of the transmission intermittently not allowing acceleration.
Automatic transmission failed after 76,000 miles. Transmission would occasionally slip every couple of weeks since initial purchase. A few days before transmission failure the vehicle started to jerk and would have intermittent transmission issues. Ultimately the transmission failed while driving and once parked, the vehicle would only start in neutral and the vehicle would not shift to reverse. The vehicle was driven for around 1-2 years and then was maintained in a storage state for 4 years and then was driven for another 1-2 years before the transmission failed at 76,000 miles. These transmissions failing is and reports say that it was a known issue from the start. Transmission issues while driving pose a moderate safety concern and could potentially cause an accident on the road in a traffic condition. Based on numerous complaints about the transmission issues on this vehicle, Ford needs to be held accountable and an official recall needs to be issued for the transmission on the 2013 Ford Focus! the conditions for this recall should be based on meeting one (not both) of the following: Less than 7/10 years, or 100,000/150,000 miles.
Vehicle shuddering on acceleration. At an intersection/full stop car would sputter when trying to accelerate through the intersection. At cruising speeds, RPM's would suddenly accelerate.
The car isn't drivable. When I start it it makes clicking noise and hard to start. If driving it, it doesn't give any gas or go over 20 miles. It sometimes shut off and sometimes have a hard time driving foward. Codes P0087, P0783, P2872, comes up on a diagnostic. That's driving on a street and can't drive on highway anymore.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the transmission overheating warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and parked the vehicle on the side of the road. The contact waited for five minutes before restarting the vehicle, and continued driving to her destination. The vehicle was taken to larry H. miller super Ford (1340 500 w, salt lake city, ut 84115, (801) 783-4473) where it was diagnosed with needing the clutch to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,232.
Got in my car to go work started down road and the ada's it showed up on my dash that it was the trans fault service now I turned around and come home. I called the service man at Ford place where I bought the car. Before this happened the car was taking to them because the car was not pulling right they looked at it and said nothing was wrong and I called them and nothing was done in June 2019 and now my car is not drivable now it's been down since 12/24/2020 I called the Ford place and they can't get it in till 01/04/2021. This has been very inconvenient for not do I have health issues, but my daughter is 81/2 months pregnant and I have no way to go. I've only have had this car 1year and 8 months and it's been nothing but trouble..
The transmission control actual failed while I was driving on the interstate. It was as if the car went into neutral and would not go back into gear. When I pressed the accelerator pedal, it would only rev the rpms high and fall back down, no reaction by the transmission whatsoever. I was almost hit by several cars while trying to move over, with the transmission not responding to my gas pedal. There is an active recall/extended warranty on the tcm transmission control module for my vehicle. The check engine light came on, and I scanned the code with a professional obd2 reader. The code was for tcm. Capital Ford at charlotte called me and told me it was the "shift actuator", (a $60 part), not the tcm, and it was not covered under the recall. They wanted $2800 to replace the part, a $60 part. I called Ford, and they gave me a case number to "try" to get it repaired under warranty, but the service director at capital Ford told me he cannot do anything unless Ford tells him to do so, and thus far they have not approved anything to be repaired under warranty. They still have my car in the shop. This is a death trap waiting to happen. I am glad it was me driving and not my wife.
I was driving on a highway using my cruise control and the motor revved up really high as if it was in neutral. I took it off cruise control and the transmission wasn't going into to any gear. I had to start off in low gear and when I got to 15-20mph put in drive the transmission jerks so hard it felt like someone had hit us from behind ive been reading up on this and I feel the whole transmission needs to be recalled. Also the power steering has showed 2 times theres something failing on it turning around in a parling lot and all the sudden ima not able to turn almost hit 2 people. It was horrible.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the vehicle started to hesitate and jerk forward. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer - gwinnett place Ford (3230 satellite blvd, duluth, ga 30096; (404) 418-6877) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred on six occasions. The manufacturer was informed of failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
My vehicle gives a "stop safely now" warning in the instrument cluster with a red triangle icon. This is accompanied by a loss of power and a sudden stall or inability to even start. It has happened both while the vehicle is in motion and while it was stopped.
We just bought this car has 87,000 miles on it. Just quit driving would not go forward or back and found out it has had 4 clutches replaced. Have had it at hunt Ford in franklin, ky. Said they could fix it for $4,000, I said cannot afford that, took it to a local mechanic his transmission guy could not fix it or get parts, took it to greenwood Ford in bowling green, ky. Same thing as hunt Ford $4,000 job. Something has been seriously wrong with this car for a long time. The car won't even drive now. I paid $4,000 for this car for my niece I am stuck! I am discouraged. Why is there not a recall on this whole transmission" the clutch has been changed many times and I cannot afford a new transmission. Ford needs to pay for this. Can you help me"
Car in motion in a street and suddenly stopped and my wife couldn't turn the wheel. Until she managed somehow to park it. (power steering problem). Speed problem when accelerating, car slowed down in highway suddenly while other cars behind me. It did it 5 times in different days. (transmission problem). Now car is parked since 3 months in parking lot. Since 2016 I reported 5 times to Ford dealers the dual clutch transmission problem. I filed online report. I reported in 2019 power steering problem they didn't fix it. I fixed it. Now I can not drive my 2013 Focus for safety precautions due to transmission problem since 3 months. They refuse to admit recall and fix the problem. I am paying a lease for not be able to drive my car.
The car shudders when trying to speed up after a stop, this happens on and off, but, very frequently. It also produces a slight clanging sound when this happens. Once the car shudders it will continue shuddering every time you stop for the rest of the drive. This is concerning as the car kind of struggles to jump to the next gear.
I purchased a Ford Focus SE from mccarthy Ford in Illinois in 2015. Since having the car, I've constantly experienced jerking while accelerating, lack of acceleration, which was dangerous, while making a left turn with oncoming traffic, or on the highway with trucks speeding by you because my car wouldn't accelerate quick enough. I constantly complained to Ford dealer about these issues and the kept repairing it under the guise that 'oh your tcm(transmission control module) beds reprogramming' or it was 'your car was originally a stick shift that they turned automatic, and what you feel, is your car shifting gears'. the car was under warranty and they assured me I didn't have transmission issues, so I let them fix this same issue more than 5 times over the course of warranty. In July 2020, my car stopped and wouldn't drive at all. I took it to Ford, and they claimed it was the tcm again, and supposedly fixed with no customer to me. However, the car never stop jerking or the acceleration was always lacking, like it's always done, before and after a repair. October 11,2020, I take my car in for the exact same symptoms, and now I need a transmission clutch, that Ford claims is $1700 dollars to fix. Now, I took my car in for these exact issues, I've been experiencing, all these years. But, now my warranty is up on the transmission and now it's supposedly gone out. I have less than 6 months to pay on this vehicle, I'm a single mom, a student, and unemployed due to the pandemic. I absolutely do not have this money, as I feel Ford as blackballed me, and as I read reviews, apparently thousands of other people as well. I am devastated, and don't know what else to do. Is there any way NHTSA can help, or hold Ford accountable for this? the potential danger I've dealt with while driving this vehicle all these years, with minimal acceleration and shifting gears. Thank you! !
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- San Dimas, CA, USA